Minnesota Retiree Nearly Loses $300 Rod While Catching State-Record Bluegill Keith Lusher 08.10.26A Minnesota angler has broken the state bluegill record with a 2-pound, 3-ounce fish caught from Big Stone Lake, continuing an impressive run of giant panfish coming from the lake. Dale Hoffman, 59, of Ramsey, caught the record bluegill July 7 while fishing the 12,500-acre lake along the Minnesota-South Dakota border. Chris Mulcahey set the previous Minnesota record May 29 with a 2-pound bluegill, also caught from Big Stone Lake. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials confirmed Hoffman’s fish was a pure bluegill and noted something else unusual about the record catch. Big Stone Lake may not be finished producing records.